Bulgaria is now part of the global Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) network for sustainable forest management. The introduction of FSC certification was initiated over 20 years ago by WWF Bulgaria. Since 2014, WWF Bulgaria has been leading the development of a national standard tailored to the characteristics of local forests and legislation. The main goal of the standard is to ensure that income from forestry activities does not come at the expense of nature conservation, the rights of forest workers or the livelihoods of local communities. The official FSC partner in Bulgaria is the newly established Sustainable Forests Association, which brings together NGOs, manufacturers and experts.

Nearly 50% of all Bulgarian forests are already FSC-certified. Over 400 companies, wood processors and traders are certified for supply chain tracking, ensuring that the materials for their finished products come from certified forests. Certification is voluntary and provides access to much larger markets. Additionally, FSC pays special attention to protection against disasters such as fires, floods and landslides.

Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov

Photo: BTA